Chapter 5: The Sin in a Title, an Existence in a Name

‘Ah. It hurts.’

Elanor woke up with a killer headache, her face and body aching with a sort of bone deep exhaustion that made her feel weak.

Not the best way to find out you were still alive, but Elanor supposed this was just part of the price she had to pay for her little escape stunt.

Her failed escape stunt that is.

While her main objective was met and the kingdom was aware she was alive she had put herself in an increasingly dangerous and difficult position by irritating the General of Pride and his army, if not outright instigating her future murder.

At the moment she’d been left alive but who’s to say if she would be for much longer? Demons were rather fickle and could hold one hell of a grudge.

None of Elanor’s wounds had been treated after her recapture—not that she thought they would, but the wounds were definitely worse than last time.

Her feet were torn up to hell and back, still dirty with mud, blood, and ash, she’d have to treat her open wounds soon before they got infected. Her bruises had bruises and she had to have at least a minor concussion with how much her head was pounding.

She was back in demon territory, back in the General’s clutches, and she couldn’t predict anything that would happen now, not when she was well and truly trapped.

There would be no second escape attempt, Elanor had been lucky she even got the first one.

No doubt she’d be punished for it though, it had already begun too. While she wasn’t in a cell, she was in the room from before, just with noticeable differences.

The windows were barred up both on the outside and inside. Heavy metal bars had been set into the stone outside while thick panels of wood had been hammered down to prevent her from getting more than a few fingers width of light coming in.

Despite her situation and all the unknowns, she now had to deal with, Elanor couldn’t even think about taking the first steps to cleaning her wounds or guessing what would be done to her.

All she could really think about was her family. She wondered if the King would inform them of her status as captured or if he and the kingdom would do everything in their power to hide the fact that she was in their enemies’ hands.

Before Elanor had been the Holy Maiden, she’d just been a regular 18-year-old girl. The daughter of a merchant and an inn keeper. She was an older sister too. And then the soldiers had come knocking with the magic users and priests, searching for the next Holy Maiden.

Then it was a whirlwind of training, politics, nobles and more. Five years felt like nothing yet everything. It had been so long since she’d been able to return home, she wondered how they were all doing?

Katarina had to be about 15 now, right? Ahhh, Elanor wanted to see them.

Ever since she’d become the Holy Maiden though there had been too many duties for her to do more than send letters. They were going to start to worry when they didn’t get any soon.

The Kingdom wouldn’t be declaring her dead anytime soon though, not without proof. It wouldn’t do for them to get caught in a lie and declare that, only for the demons to parade her around.

What a complicated position she had put herself in.

There was no warning, no buildup, the doors were kicked open and even from so far away, Elanor could feel heat against her skin.

P*ssed might be too light a word to describe the General of Pride at the moment.

The General she had talked to before was no more as flames licked against his skin, magic so thick it tried to choke her and burn her just for existing.

Those beautiful features of his had turned viscerally beautiful and now more than ever it was apparent that the being before her was a DEMON.

Slitted eyes glowing bright, a snarl on his face that bared sharp teeth that belonged on a predator, and something vicious and wild in his aura.

However, Elanor had to commend him. Even now, even like this, he had yet to kill her when other demons would not have hesitated to torture and slay.

…That could change very easily though.

Neither of them spoke. There was nothing Elanor could say to make her situation better and if she did open her mouth, she had a feeling her life would be the forfeit.

Finally, he took a breath, the magic in the air stabilizing but a new weight settled in the calm.

You’d think the General of Pride had turned into the General of Wrath with how he was able to turn his rage into a weapon.

He stalked forward and slammed his hand against the headboard behind her, effectively pinning her between it and him.

Elanor was forced to look into his eyes, and this close she could hear the rumbling growl in the back of his throat that was more befitting of a monster than a man.

Her heart lurched at what she was suddenly facing. The gaze in his eyes…

Elanor had been told that demons were sinful things, spiteful and full of hate. That they were merciless and cruel, especially in the pursuit of their own wants and desires.

No one had ever told her that a curious gaze could feel so detached and cold like she was being dissected.

What did he want to know so badly that it eclipsed his very pride? For his desire to be stronger than his rage…what about her was so interesting to him?

She didn’t know and that terrified her.

“You sure are bold. For a moment I wondered how someone as weak as you could be the Holy Maiden but you’re just as insolent as the last one.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Elanor managed, and his fingers flexed against her neck.

She remembered how easily he had placed bruises on her last time, she wondered if he’d snap her neck.

“Did you think you could escape?” He growled, shoving her against the headboard and Elanor’s ears rang, her skull throbbing. “Answer me.”

“What I thought?” she repeated her words. “What I thought was that I don’t know why you want me alive.”

“…Careful, Holy Maiden, or I might think you want to die. Right now, it doesn’t matter what you think I want, the only thing that matters to you right now is what I order. You’re alive because I want you to be. So, if you go against me again, the next thing I’ll order is for my troops to bring me your head.”

He let go, claws dragging against her neck leaving thin, bloody trails, the sting of flesh nothing compared to the shot of fear that rushed through her as he licked a red droplet from his nails.

“Is that understood?”

“…You’ve made it very clear.” Elanor’s nails bit into her skin while her fists trembled as she restrained herself from commenting. Being treated like a dog or a hostage, what was the difference? She already had to heel for her life. She didn’t want to beg for it too.

“Good. You’re finally behaving. You humans, a little pain and you start to fold.”

“A little mistake and you lose your cool.” Ohhh, he was good wasn’t he, so easily making use of her pride as all the General did was smirk, leaning down, almost nose to nose with her.

“Careful, that pride of yours is powerful. So much from a little human, I’d almost mistake you for one of my soldiers.”

At that, Elanor couldn’t help but scoff, even though it felt like she was playing right into his hands, giving him what he wanted as she reacted to his antagonizations and taunts.

“I suppose you do know all about pride, however, I’m not forgetting your title any time soon—so don’t forget mine. Aren’t I the antithesis to everything a demon is?”

“You humans would think so, wouldn’t you.” The anger was gone, and Elanor wasn’t so sure that was a good thing with how smug he looked at her reply.

“Oh, I know so. It’s called humanity after all.”

“That might be true,” smiled the General, pulling back. “And yet sin isn’t exclusive to demons. Maybe we do lack humanity—but humanity certainly doesn’t lack its own demons.”

Elanor hated how he was right, how she couldn’t reply or deny it. He wasn’t wrong. But that wasn’t all they were.

“And you Holy Maiden, what’s your sin?”

She found it strange all his questions were about her and not the kingdom, its army, or their movements. No, he seemed wholly focused on questioning her.

Still, she gave him an answer, she was supposed to ‘behave’ after all.

“I hold the title of Holy Maiden,” she said simply. The General scoffed, looking almost amused by her reply.

That was fine though, he didn’t need to understand, but that was Elanor’s truth. Her ‘Sin’.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you tell the truth or not. You’ll never manage to escape a second time and if you try, I’ll kill you myself. Make sure you don’t make a nuisance of yourself.”

“…Anything else, General?”

“Tomorrow you’ll be assigned to one of my demon’s. Leylin. She’ll be watching you and putting you to work. Behave.”

“I’m not a dog, General, nor am I stupid.”

“I beg to differ but sure, keep your pride. I don’t have to destroy it. Yet. Let’s say your little escape attempt was testing the waters. Well, Holy Maiden, I’m sure you learned that testing them again will mean you’ll drown.”

“Are you going to drag me under then?”

“Maybe,” he hummed. “We’ll see. You’ve already lost so many privileges, what should I take away? Your ability to walk, your sight? So many choices…don’t tempt me.”

Elanor wasn’t doing sh*t, but she supposed the twisted mind of a demon just worked differently.

“The work, General?”

“Scullery work for now. Morning to evening, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Any questions? The same rules as before apply.”

Meaning he’d answer only if he felt like it.

“Just one,” Elanor allowed. “What’s your name?”

He seemed surprised by her question, but what other one could she ask? Like he said, she wasn’t leaving any time soon. She might as well know the name of who she had to curse.

“Well, aren’t you surprising,” he mused before picking up her hand and kissing the back, never taking his eyes from her as he mockingly introduced himself. “Azzoth, the General of Pride. Welcome to the sixth castle of Avarice, Holy Maiden, Elanor Elize.”

Oh, so he did know her name, the b*st*rd just didn’t use it.

Somehow, that was his worst insult to date, and Elanor could feel it in her aching bones that it was just going to get tougher from here on out.